Individuals and families spend the major part of their lives in the relative peace and seclusion of their own homes. On occasion, however, they seek the company of an extended family or friends and acquaintances, joining them in a variety of group activities. Groups assemble in a variety of locations for a number of reasons such as birthday parties, garden parties, recognition and achievement receptions and banquets and similar types of celebrations.
People who want to entertain family and friends are often limited by the space provided by their residences. During a party held at one's home, a common situation occurs in which guests migrate to different rooms in the house. Some guests congregate in a kitchen, while others choose to use the living room or den, for example. Still other guests prefer the outdoors and choose to interact with other partygoers on a patio or porch. Regardless of their venue, attendees at special events, whether standing or sitting, generally need a surface nearby upon which to place food and drinks. However, finding an unused section of a table can be difficult, especially if tables are loaded with food and drinks. Often, this becomes less of a problem when the event organizer provides occasional tables in addition to furniture permanently in place at the site of a special event.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,890,409, U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,467 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,103 disclose collapsible tables suitable for occasional use. Tables of this type provide extra food or beverage stations or satisfy the need for additional tabletop space for use by guests at a party or other special event. If, however, the event draws a large enough number of invited guests, there will be crowding and not enough space for extra tables. Partygoers often try to overcome lack of tabletop space by precariously balancing items of food and drink whereby accidents occur causing damage to the furnishings and furniture of a host's residence.
Planning a successful party requires tabletop space sufficient for the number of people invited to a party. A tabletop concept based on structures existing in a home requires less physical space, allows more space for guests and reduces the probability of accidental spills. Therefore, a space saver table overcoming limitations, shortcomings and/or drawbacks associated with the use of conventional occasional tables.